Tension control device for yarn winder



. May 15, 1962 J. A. KAY ETAL 3,034,278

TENSION CONTROL DEVICE FOR YARN WINDER Filed Feb. 21, 1956 INVENTORS (/AME 4. A44) nrrok/vsys Unite States This invention relates to the winding of yarn and relates more particularly to devices for controlling the tension in a yarn during the winding thereof.

The manufacture of yarns by the spinning of a filament-forming liquid, such as a solution of cellulose acetate in a volatile solvent, is well known in the art. In this process the liquid is extruded in filamentary form in a zone where coagulation of the liquid takes place, for example, a Zone where the solvent in the cellulose acetate solution is evaporated. The resulting yarn is drawn from the coagulation Zone by engagement with a driven roll and is then wound into a package.

The yarns produced in accordance with the method described above are not always as uniform as desired. As a result, occasionally some of the yarn of a package is more dilficult to dye than the normal yarn constituting the balance of the package, and, consequently, where the yarn is woven into a fabric and dyed, the dyed fabric has a streaky appearance. This, of course, greatly decreases the value of the dyed fabric.

It is an object of this invention to provide a novel apparatus for the winding of yarn which will produce packages of yarn that are free of the foregoing and other defects.

Other objects of this invention will be apparent from the following detailed description and claims.

It has been found that one cause of non-uniformity in synthetic yarn with respect to the dyeing properties thereof is that an excessively high tension is sometimes applied to the freshly spun yarn during winding. Yarn which has been subjected, without breaking, to this exessive tension is less receptive to dyes than yarn which has been wound at lower tensions.

in accordance with this invention the winding of the yarn is carried out on an apparatus which severs the yarn, and thereby stops the winding, when the tension on the yarn exceeds a predetermined value. Thus, in one aspect of the invention the winding apparatus includes means for severing the running yarn and means, in contact with the running yarn and responsive to increases in the tension in said running yarn, for bringing said yarn att 3,034,278 Patented May 15, 1952 ersed continuously up and down along the length of the and said severing means into yarn-severing contact when the tension in said running yarn increases above a predetermined value, which value is less than the breaking tension of said yarn. I

In the accompanying drawing, which illustrates a preferred form of the invention,

FIG. 1 is a side view of the apparatus of this invention, showing the paths of the yarn under normal tension and when the tension increases above the desired value,

FIG. 2v is a plan view of the tension limiting device, and

FIG. 3 is a view along the line 33 of FIG. 2.

Like reference numerals indicate like parts in the several views of the drawing.

Referring now to the drawing, reference numeral 11 designates a freshly spun yarn composed of a plurality of continuous filaments. The yarn, travelling in the direction shown by the arrows, emerges from a spinning cabinet (not shown) and, as is usual in the art, passes over a feed roll 12, which is positively driven at a constant speed, through a guide 13, again over the feed roll 12 to another guide 14 termed a balloon guide, and

bobbin 519 so as to distribute the yarn on said bobbin in the desired manner.

As is well known in the art, because of the extended Contact between the yarn 11 and the feed roll 12 the yarn travels at the same linear speed as the surface of said feed roll. During winding, the traveler 16 moves freely in a circular path about the bobbin 19, at a rate dependent on the-relationship between the speed of the feed roll 12 and the speed of the bobbin, and the yarn is thereby given a twist. The circular movement of the traveler 16 also causes the yarn to balloon outwardly as shown at 24 in FIG. 1. The yarn passing from the feed roll 12. to the bobbin 19 is, of course, under tension and this tension may be increased to undesirably high levels, for example, when there is interference with the free movement or the traveler 16. Such interference may result from such causes as lint or other foreign bodies caught under the traveler, improper installation of the traveler, use of a defective traveler or a traveler of the wrong size, or use of a worn, misali ned or dirty ring.

in the usual winding devices of the type illustrated, the balloon guide 14 is supported in a fixed position on a front support bar 26 running parallel to the feed roll 12 and disposed below said feed roll. However, in the illustrated aspect of the present invention the balloon guide 14, which comprises a grooved insert of suitable antifriction material, is mounted instead at one end 27 of a lever 28. The lever 28 is pivoted, as by means of a pin 29, to a fixed slotted plate 31 extending from the front support bar 26. In order to maintain the end 27 of the lever 28 in a raised position a counterweight 32 is adjustably threaded or otherwise secured on the other end 33 of said lever. The counterweighted end 33 of the lever 23 carries a stop 34 which engages the top of the plate 31 for limiting the downward movement of said end 33. Extending over the lever 28 is a cutter comprising a screen of wire mesh 36 cut on the diagonal, as shown in FIG. 3, and supported on stitl inverted V-shaped wire legs 37 secured to the plateSl. The cutter screen 36 is spaced sufiiciently from the lever 28 so as to permit limited movement of said lever torthe position shown in dotted lines in FIG. 1.

It will be seen that the yarn 11 passing under tension over the balloon guide 14 exerts a force on said guide tending to move said guide downward, and that this force is resisted by the gravitational force of the counterweight 32. at the other end of the lever 28. When the tension in the yarn rises to an undesirably high level the balloon guide 14 is forced downward to such an extent, as shown in dotted lines in FIG. 1, that the yarn passing from the feed roll 12 to said guide 14 is brought into contact with the edge of the cutter screen 36. This contact under tension severs the yarn and thus stops the winding operation. The condition which caused the increased tension can then be corrected and winding resumed.

By the use of the screen 36 there is provided a cutter which is safe in that there is "virtually no chance for the operator to be injured by said cutter or by the supports therefore. Furthermore, the screen does not tend to sever yarn which accidentally comes in contact with it, under normal tensions, during the dot-ling of the yarn but it does sever the yarn effectively when the yarn is under high tension as described above. The diagonal cut of the mesh of the screen prevents fraying of the screen and gives a more efiicient cutting action, the diagonally cut edge presenting a large number of cut wire ends including both warp and weft ends and having'small V-shaped openings. A very suitable screen is one made of 50 X 50 count stainless steel mesh cut at an angle of 45 to the warp and weft of said mesh.

As'will be seen from FIG. 1, the lever 28 is so positioned'that the balloon guide14 at the end of said lever moves in an arcuate path substantially along the projected axis of rotation of the bobbin 19. V i The apparatus of this invention has been found to work in a highly satisfactory manner. Its use does not involve any interference with dofiing or stringing up operations and does not require any increased attention by the operator of the winding machinery. It is simple and.

inexpensive to build and maintain and withstands hard usage. It responds to changes in tension rapidly but is not oversensitive to momentary increases in tension. Yarn wound by means of the apparatus of this invention is highly uniform in dye-receptivity. j

It is to be understood that the foregoing detailed description is given merely by way of illustration and that many variations may be made therein without departing from the spirit of our invention.

Having described our invention, what we desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a winding apparatus, a driven feed roll for continuously supplying yarn at a predetermined speed, a driven rotatably mounted yarn package support on which theyarn running from said feed roll is wound under tension,- a traveler movable about said yarn package for guiding the yarn in its passage to said support, means for severing the running yarn, a balloon guide for receiving the yarn running between said feed roll and said traveler, said balloon guide being movable in response to increases in the tension in said running yarn to bringsaid yarn and said severing means into yarn-severing contact when the tension in said running yarn increases above a predetermined value, which is less than the breaking tension of said yarn.

2. In a winding apparatus wherein a yarn runs under tension from a feeding device to' a yarn package support on which it is wound, means for severing the running yarn, and means in contactrwith the running yarn and responsive to increases in'the tension in said running yarn, for bringing said yarn and said severing means into yarn-severing contact when the tension in said running yarn increases above a predetermined value which is less than the breaking tension of said yarn, the construction and arrangement of said winding apparatus being such that in the absence of said yarn-severing means said increase in the tension of said yarn does not herald breakage of said yarn, said severing means including a cut wire screen, the cut edge of which is brought into contact with the running yarn when said tension increases above a predetermined value.

3. Apparatus as setforth in claim 1 in which said feed roll receives freshly spun continuous filament yarn from a spinning cabinet.

4. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 in which substantially the entire path of the yarn from said'feed roll to said support is in the atmosphere. 7

5. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 including means for rotating said support and means for supplying said yarn to a point on the projected axis of said support, the

construction and arrangement being such-that said yarn running from said point to said support is twisted by said rotation during the winding thereof.

6. Ina winding apparatus, a driven feed roll for continuously supplying yarn at. a predetermined speed, a

driven rotatably mounted yarn package support on which.

' guiding the yarn in its passage to said support, means for severing the running yarn, a balloon guide for receiving the yarn running between said feed roll and said traveler, said balloon guide being disposed substantially on the projected axis of rotation of said yarn package support and being movable in response to increases in the tension in said running yarn to bring 'Vsaid yarn and said severing means into yarn-severing contact when the tension in said running yarn increases above a predetermined value, which is less than the breaking tension of said yarn.

7. In a Winding apparatus, a driven feed roll for continuously supplying yarn at a predetermined speed, a driven rotatably mounted yarn package support on which the yarn running from said feed roll is wound under tension, a cutter adapted to beengaged by said running yarn,

, tion and arrangement being such that an increase in the tension in the running yarn above a predetermined value, which is less than the breaking tension of said yarn, moves said balloon guide against the force of said yieldable means to bring said yarn into yarn-severing contact with said cutter.

. 8. .In a winding apparatus, a driven feed roll for continuously supplying yarn at a predetermined speed, a driven rotatably mounted yarn package support on which the yarn running from said feed roll is wound under tension, '21 traveler movable about said yarn package for guiding the yarn in its passage to said support, a cutter adapted to be engaged by said running yarn, a balloon guide for receiving the yarn running between said feed roll and said traveler, said balloon guide being disposed substantially on the projected axis of rotation of said package support and being movable in response to increases in the tension in said yarn, yieldable means for urging said balloon guide in a direction to keep said yarn away from said cutter, the construction and arrangement being such that an increase in the tension in the running yarn above a predetermined value, which is less than the breaking tension of said yarn, moves said balloon guide against the force of said yieldable means to bring said yarn into yarn-severing contact with said cutter.

9. Apparatus asset forth in claim 8 in which said balloon guide is mounted on a pivoted lever.

7 said lever.

10. Apparatus as set forth in claim 9 in which said lever is pivotally supported on a stationary mounting.

11. Apparatus as set forth in claim 10 in which said cutter is stationary. u a

12. Apparatus as set forth in claim 10 in which said cutter is stationary and is supported on said mounting.

13. Apparatus as set forth in claim 8 in which said balloon guide is mounted on a pivoted lever and said yieldable means comprises an adjustable counterweight on 14. Apparatus as set forth in claim 2 in which said wire screen is cut on. a diagonal to provide said edge. a

15. Apparatus as set forth in claim 7 in which the balloon guide is movable substantially along the projected axis of rotation of said yarn package support.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

